Does a ketogenic diet cause weight loss?

By Dr. Stephen Phinney and the Virta Team‍

Being in nutritional ketosis will accelerate the rate at which the body burns fat, and this is a fundamental key to the short- and long-term benefits of a ketogenic diet. However, if the extra fat that is burned is compensated by an increase in dietary fat, then no body fat loss will occur (but there still can be other benefits from sustained ketosis). Most people carrying excess fat tissue who achieve nutritional ketosis by eating natural low-carbohydrate foods initially feel more satiated, allowing them to eat less fat than they burn, which results in net fat loss. But eventually, even when one is in sustained nutritional ketosis, our natural instincts prompt us to increase fat intake to meet our daily energy needs resulting in a stable weight and body composition.

Read more in our blog post on weight loss.